ai4bharat/Pralekha huggingface dataset:
Ministry of Road Transport & Highways
NHAI Addresses Minor Issues on Bangaluru – Mysuru Expressway
NHAI has been working to address certain issues raised by the users of Bengaluru-Mysuru Expressway and has taken various measures to address the issues related repairing of expansion joint and inundation of the carriageway at Animal Overpass.
The rectification of the expansion joints of one of the major bridge cum ROB was a part of Operation and Maintenance of the Expressway that was taken up to remove the jerks and improve the riding quality on the bridge. The rectification work has been completed and it is now open for traffic.
NHAI is also addressing the drainage issue near Sagabasavandoddi village. Unprecedented rainfall on 17th March 2023 caused inundation on carriageway near the Animal Overpass at one point on the 117 km long Expressway. The provision of drainage arrangement at this location was blocked by the villagers by dumping soil over the drain which resulted in stagnation of water on the main carriageway. To address this, NHAI has laid pipe drain with two rows of pipe to facilitate easy flow of rainwater. The work has been completed on 19th March 2023 and the traffic is flowing smoothly.
Non-availability of service road has also been highlighted by local residents along the expressway. This is an access controlled highway, with provision of 112 kms 2 lane service road on either side. To further assist commuters on the Expressway, NHAI has also put in place a robust incident management system that include deployment of ambulances, patrol vehicles and cranes to address emergencies and vehicle breakdown. Now, the NHAI is making service road and completion would be ensured to facilitate route to local people. NHAI has taken adequate measures for proper drainage on service road which includes construction of RCC drain. Proper access to service road would be ensured. Roughly 55,000 passenger car units are moving on this road. Travel time has reduced from 4 hours to 1.5 hours.
NHAI has completed implementation of 117 km long Bangalore - Mysore Expressway and the same has been opened for traffic. Toll is being levied as per NH Act & Fees Rules applicable across the country. As per practice, even after completion of the project 90-days are provided to rectify and finish any minor issues to ensure smooth riding experience for the commuters.
NHAI is committed to provide smooth, safe and seamless experience to the highway users across the country.
Ministry of Science & Technology
Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh says, StartUps grew 300 times in last 9 years
Union Minister of State  Science & Technology; Minister of State  Earth Sciences; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh said here today that StartUps in India grew 300 times in the last 9 years.
Dr Jitendra Singh was speaking at a function at Rashtrapati Bhavan where “National Innovation Awards”, instituted by the Union Ministry of Science & Technology, were presented to "Grassroot Innovators" by the President of India, Droupadi Murmu.
The Minister said that there were just around 350 StartUps before 2014, but after Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave the clarion call from the ramparts of the Red Fort in his Independence Day address and rolled out special StartUp scheme in 2016, there has been a quantum jump in StartUps to more than 90,000 with more than 100 Unicorns.
Dr Jitendra Singh further added that simultaneously Prime Minister Modi opened up the Space sector for private participation leading to more than 100 StartUps in the Space sector within just about three years. Similarly, Biotech StartUps went up from around 50 to nearly 6,000, he said.
Dr Jitendra Singh said that India had no dearth of talent, capability, innovation and creativity in the youth, but they were lacking a favourable milieu and proper patronage from the political leadership which was provided by Prime Minister Modi, and it is also now evident that we have so much of innovative talent even in our rural youth and there is no linkage between formal education degree and innovation capabilities which is evident from the awards given today. He added that this issue was also sought to be addressed by Prime Minister Modi by bringing in National Education Policy 2020 which gives emphasis to skill and not only to the academic degrees and prepares the individual for earning livelihood according to his or her aptitude and skill.
The Minister mentioned that the nature of the awards given today and the profile of the awardees proves that a large number of “Grassroot Innovators” are available in India who may not have a very high formal education but who are capable of creating success stories and also generating attractive means of livelihoods for themselves.
Dr Jitendra Singh appreciated the efforts of the Department of Science and Technology and National Innovation Foundation  for organising the “Festival of Innovation & Entrepreneurship”  and noted that it is a unique effort to promote Science, Technology and Innovation even among those who may not be highly educated in the formal sense or may have not even be science students but who possess inherent talent and inborn aptitude for innovation and entrepreneurship, which also may become a source of livelihood for them.
The awards were presented in different categories, namely national level, State level and student category. Two of the recipients today had already been awarded Padma Shri for their innovations.
Ministry of Home Affairs
Human Rights cannot be an excuse for defying the law of the land
The stand taken and the statements made by Amnesty International are unfortunate, exaggerated and far from the truth.
The facts of the matter are as follows:
Amnesty International had received permission under the Foreign Contribution  Act  only once and that too twenty years ago . Since then Amnesty International, despite its repeated applications, has been denied FCRA approval by successive governments since as per law it is not eligible to get such an approval.
However, in order to circumvent the FCRA regulations, Amnesty UK remitted large amounts of money to four entities registered in India, by classifying it as Foreign Direct Investment . A significant amount of foreign money was also remitted to Amnesty  without MHA’s approval under FCRA. This mala fide rerouting of money was in contravention of extant legal provisions.
Owing to these illegal practices of Amnesty, the previous government had also rejected the repeated applications of Amnesty to receive funds from overseas. This had led Amnesty to suspend its India operations once during that period as well. This bipartisan and purely legal approach towards Amnesty, under different governments, makes it clear that the entire fault lies in the dubious processes adopted by Amnesty to secure funds for its operations.
All the glossy statements about humanitarian work and speaking truth to power are nothing but a ploy to divert attention from their activities which were in clear contravention of laid down Indian laws. Such statements are also an attempt to extraneously influence the course of investigations by multiple agencies into the irregularities and illegalities carried out over the last few years.
Amnesty is free to continue humanitarian work in India, as is being done by many other organizations. However, India, by settled law, does not allow interference in domestic political debates by entities funded by foreign donations. This law applies equally to all and it shall apply to Amnesty International as well.
India has a rich and pluralistic democratic culture with a free press, independent judiciary and tradition of vibrant domestic debate. The people of India have placed unprecedented trust in the current government. Amnesty’s failure to comply with local regulations does not entitle them to make comments on the democratic and plural character of India.
Ministry of Civil Aviation
Mumbai Airport boosts capacity - Expands Security check area at T2
The integrated Pre-Embarkation Security Check  capacity has been significantly enhanced
The additional capacity created will ensure a lower wait time for passengers
This will enhance processing capacity, reduce wait times, and provide a seamless experience to passengers
Expansion and upgradation of Phase 1 and Phase 2 of Security Checkpoint Area  at T2 Terminal of Mumbai International Airport Limited  has been completed creating additional space to boost capacity, resulting in lower wait time and increased convenience for the passengers.
Union Minister of Civil Aviation and Steel, Shri Jyotiraditya M. Scindia had directed Mumbai International Airport Limited  to complete the expansion and upgradation in 3 Phases wherein Phase 1 has been completed on 31st March 2023, and Phase 2 on 30th June 2023. This has created additional space to increase the capacity of the terminal, ensuring ease for passengers and thereby helping reduce congestion.
In line with the recovery and resilience shown by the Indian aviation sector against the global COVID-19 pandemic, the country has seen a huge surge in daily passenger traffic and has resulted in creation of an aspirational India which is willing and ready to fly. In response to this demand, MIAL in consultation with the Ministry of Civil Aviation and BCAS has outlined a comprehensive plan to augment capacity and upgrade the first of its kind Integrated SCP facilities for enhancing the passenger experience and ease of travel at Terminal 2 of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport , Mumbai. This strategic initiative is designed to enhance processing capacity, reduce wait times, and provide a seamless yet secure travel experience to passengers. The first phase of this work started in September 2022 and two of the three phases have been successfully completed and have started demonstrating the desired results.
To further enhance the experience, CSMIA has deployed ushers to guide passengers and provided priority lanes for senior citizens, passengers with children/ infants, and specially-abled passengers.
Commenting on the progress made by MIAL, Minister of Civil Aviation and Steel, Shri Jyotiraditya M. Scindia said, “Passenger contentment has always been our priority and I am delighted that private airport operators are fully collaborative in our mandate to make air travel easy and hassle-free for all. MIAL has done a great job by creating this additional space which will increase capacity and provide convenience to the passengers. With the completion of phase 3 of this project, this will further enhance. Under the leadership of the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, we will continue to work and provide the best service to our people.”
Before: Demolition of F&B and Retail
After : Additional Queuing Space
Ministry of Road Transport & Highways
GREENFIELD AND BROWNFIELD PROJECTS
The widening/development of existing road is categorized as Brownfield, whereas construction of project on a new alignment is categorized as Greenfield project. The Greenfield project generally passes through new area, wherein the per unit cost of land acquisition is generally less considering less development in these areas. Construction of Greenfield alignment generates new areas for development besides several other advantages.
The project of Amas to Darbhanga, a Greenfield Project, passes through areas near Patna. The details of the project are as under:
|
|
Name of project
|
|
Length 
|
|
Status
|
|
Amas to Shivrampur
|
|
52.002
|
|
Approved
|
|
Shivrampur to Ramnagar
|
|
54.322
|
|
Approved
|
|
Ramnagar to Kachhi
Dargha
|
|
13
|
|
DPR stage
|
|
Kachhi Dargha to
Kalyanpur including bridge across Ganga
|
|
19.6
|
|
Construction stage
|
|
Kalyanpur to Balbhadarpur
|
|
47.00
|
|
Approved
|
|
Balbhadarpur to Bela
Nawada
|
|
42.21
|
|
Approved
In addition, Detailed Project Report  preparation work for greenfield connectivity from Purvanchal Expressway to Patna has also been initiated.
This information was given by Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Shri Nitin Gadkari in a written reply in the Lok Sabha.
President's Secretariat
President of India’s Message on the eve of International Women’s Day
The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind, in his message on the eve of International Women’s Day, which is observed every year on March 8, has said: -
“On the occasion of the International Women's Day, I offer my hearty congratulations and best wishes to all women.
This day is an occasion to show respect to women for their crucial role and untiring efforts in building better society, nation and world. Also, this is an occasion to highlight those exceptional accomplishments through which women have made a mark in every walk of life and displayed their efficiency, dedication and commitment.
On the occasion of the International Women's Day, let us reaffirm our pledge to ensure safety and respect for women, so that they can move forward unhindered according to their wish in the direction of fulfilling their hopes and aspirations.”
Click here to see President's Message in Hindi
Ministry of Commerce & Industry
Union MoS Shri Som Parkash reviews progress on Unity Mall for ‘One District One Product’ in Goa
Panaji | July 13, 2023
Union Minister of State for Commerce & Industry Shri Som Parkash held a review meeting on ‘One District One Product’ in Goa today. The Union Minister asked the Government of Goa to submit the proposal for Unity Mall at the earliest and added that the Government of India has allocated Rs. 100 Crore for the project. Goa Tourism Minister Shri Rohan Khaunte was also present on the occasion.
ODOP is a very good scheme to showcase a wide range of products, said Union Minister of State Shri Som Parkash. He added that Unity Mall is a unique concept by the Government of India and further appealed to the Government of Goa to finalize the Unity Mall proposal at the earliest. Under the ODOP initiative for North Goa district, Cashew nuts have been identified as Product one, while Feni has been designated as Product two. In the South Goa district, the positions are reversed, with Feni identified as Product one, and Cashew nuts as Product two. These product identifications serve to highlight the distinct specialties of each district, further reinforcing their unique identities.
Goa Tourism Minister Shri Rohan Khaunte stated that the Union Government is assisting Goa in many ways. He also assured that the DPR for the Unity Mall is being finalized in a period of one month.
About Unity Mall
In line with the shared objective of highlighting Goa's diverse range of handicrafts, art, and cultural heritage, the state government, in collaboration with Invest India, is embarking on a pioneering project—the establishment of a 'Unity Mall.' This dynamic retail space will serve as a comprehensive destination for visitors to immerse themselves in the essence of Goa. The Unity Mall will not only feature 'One District One Product' offerings but also showcase an extensive range of local handicrafts and provide exhibition spaces for state emporiums.
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Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports
The upshots of ‘Meet The Champion’ programme will be visible soon in the coming years, says Olympian Archers Atanu and Deepika
Country’s two star archers kicked off PM’s unique school-visit initiative in Ranchi
India’s biggest archery stars Deepika Kumari and Atanu Das kicked off the ‘Meet The Champion’ Programme in the state of Jharkhand at Ranchi on Tuesday. A huge gathering of more than 300 students from 75 schools across the district attended the interactive session on ‘Santulit Aahar’, fitness and sports held in Delhi Public School, SAIL Township, Ranchi.
During the meet, the Olympian archers stressed upon how important it is for everyone to include balanced diet in our regular diet. In this regard, Deepika said, “The kind of lifestyle gradually growing among majority of the population is posing a threat to health. It is a great initiative of our PM where he has chosen sportspersons to interact with the younger generation and explain them how a healthy diet and fit lifestyle will always help one physically as well as mentally.”
She also shared about her childhood habits when there was a time that she used to hate green vegetables and salads but today that’s a part of her regular diet. ‘It is actually all about understanding the requirement of our body and taking care of it. It’s difficult to grow a habit of eating things which we don’t like but once you start loving your body, you will start doing it”, she added.
Meanwhile, referring to an animated character of a video played in the programme, the 30-year-old Arjuna Awardee Atanu said, “I was never a Healthy Ram and still can’t be one throughout the year. So, I enjoy my cheat days sometime. Otherwise, I am very clear about my goal in life which can be achieved only with healthy habits.”
The husband-wife duo also said that they believe ‘Meet The Champion’ programme is such a motivating initiative that impactful results of such interactive sessions across the country will soon be visible to us.
This unique initiative is being organized jointly by the Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and the Ministry of Education and is part of the government’s ‘Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav’. Various segments like interesting and quick videos on balanced diet, quiz session where winners are given away prizes makes the event quite exciting for students that carried an overwhelming response for the Champ of the event.
“It was so fun listening and learning so many new things from world-class archers like them. This is one of the most memorable days of life as it’s still like a dream that I could play basketball with them”, said Tiash Gupta, a student of VIII Standard from DPS, Ranchi.
Prime Minister's Office
PM shares memories with Lata Mangeshkar ji
The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has shared memories and moments of his interactions with Lata Mangeshkar ji.
Quoting a tweet thread from Modi Archives, the Prime Minister tweeted:
“Lovely thread. Brings back so many memories…”
Ministry of Education
Union Education Minister addresses at the Unveiling of QS World University Rankings by Subject 2021
12 Indian Institutions secure position in top 100
Union Education Minister Shri Ramesh Pokhriyal ‘Nishank’ today addressed at the unveiling of QS World University Rankings by Subject 2021. Shri Amitabh Kant, CEO, NITI Aayog; Chairman, UGC, Prof Dhirendra P Singh; Chairman, NAAC, Dr Virendar S Chauhan, Chairman, AICTE, Dr Anil D Sahasrabudhe; Vice President, QS Rankings, Mr Ben Sowter, Head of Evaluation, QS Rankings, Leigh Kamolins, Head of Institutions being felicitated today and other dignitaries were also virtually present on the occasion.
Addressing on the occasion, the Minister expressed his happiness and congratulated 12 Indian Institutions on securing position in top 100 in the QS Subject Rankings for the year 2021. He said, over the last few years the Government’s continuous focus on improvement and reform in Indian higher education has resulted in significant improvement in the representation of Indian institutions in globally acclaimed and reputed rankings like QS. These rankings and ratings have fostered healthy competition amongst Indian Institutions motivating them towards global excellence, he added.
12 Indian institutions have made it to the top 100 of the world - IIT Bombay, IIT Delhi, IIT Madras, IIT Kharagpur, IISC Bangalore, IIT Guwahati,, IIM Bangalore, IIM Ahmedabad, JNU, Anna University, University of Delhi, and O.P Jindal University .
Amongst these top 100 ranked institutions, IIT Madras has been ranked 30th in the world for Petroleum Engineering, IIT Bombay has been ranked 41st and IIT Kharagpur has been ranked 44th in the world for Minerals and Mining Engineering, and University of Delhi has been ranked 50th in the world for Development Studies.
Union Minister said India’s higher education system plays a vital role in driving the nation’s competitiveness. Today, India is a leading nation with the highest number of higher education institutions across the globe with significant progress in the last few years in terms of enrolment in higher education which now stands at 37.4 million. He also highlighted the achievements of the Government in addressing the gender gap in higher education, wherein now women constitute 48.6% of the total enrolment.
Shri Pokhriyal said new reforms have been brought through NEP 2020 in the Indian Education system under the able leadership of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. Speaking on NEP, he said it stresses on transforming Indian Higher Education into a knowledge superpower in the 21st century. It also has a forward-looking vision for holistic and multidisciplinary education, eliminating the rigid separation of streams. It paves the way towards internationalisation of education and encourages top world-ranked universities to open campuses in India. The future roadmap for the implementation of the policy needs active participation of all stakeholders, he added.
Prime Minister's Office
Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena calls PM Modi
The President of Sri Lanka Maithripala Sirisena called Prime Minister Modi on telephone today.
The President of Sri Lanka stated that he categorically rejected the reports in sections of media about him alluding to the involvement of India in any manner whatsoever in an alleged plot to assassinate the President and a former Defence Secretary of Sri Lanka.
He mentioned that the mischievous and malafide reports were utterly baseless and false, and seemed intended to create misunderstanding between the two leaders as well as damage the cordial relations between the two friendly neighbours.
The President apprised the Prime Minister of the urgent steps taken by him personally and the Government of Sri Lanka to publicly reject these reports. In this context, he also recalled his meeting with the High Commissioner of India to Sri Lanka today morning.
The President also stated that he regards the Prime Minister as a true friend of Sri Lanka, as also a close personal friend. He stressed that he greatly valued the mutually beneficial ties between India and Sri Lanka, and remained steadfast to work with the Prime Minister for futher strengtheing them.
The Prime Minister appreciated the prompt steps taken by the President and his Government to firmly refute the malicious reports by publicly clarifying the matters. He also reiterated India’s emphasis on ‘neighbourhood first’ policy and the priority the Government of India and he personally attach to developing even stronger all-round cooperation between the two countries.